Irish Eyes

Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore Rips NYC's St. Patrick's Day Parade

"What these parades are about is a celebration of Ireland and Irishness. I think they need to celebrate Ireland as it is, not as people imagine it. Equality is very much the center of who we are in our identity in Ireland. This issue of exclusion is not Irish, let's be clear about it. Exclusion is not an Irish thing, I think that's the message that needs to be driven home." - Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore, speaking in NYC to Irish-American LGBT activists.

NYC's parade, the world's largest, is run by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, who in 1995 won a Supreme Court battle to exclude gay groups from participating.

NEW YORK: Activists Call On NYPD To Boycott St. Patrick's Day Parade

The world's largest St. Patrick's Day Parade takes place in Manhattan tomorrow and as always, gay groups are barred from participation. This year a coalition of LGBT groups are calling on the city's cops to boycott the parade. Via press release from Irish Queers:

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists today announced plans to protest NYPD participation in the New York City St. Patrick's Parade, which takes place this Thursday. The parade is touted by organizers as an explicitly “anti-gay, Catholic” event, and has been defined in court as a “private, religious procession” in order to preserve the right to exclude LGBT marchers. Protesters, organized by the group Irish Queers, contend that NYPD participation in such a parade is a violation of New York City's human rights code. "Year after year, we watch thousands of uniformed NYPD participate in this anti-gay march. It reinforces everything LGBT people already fear about police: we're not safe with them, they haven't rejected discrimination, and they won't object when someone else discriminates,” said J.F. Mulligan, who plans to protest with Irish Queers.

A letter demanding that the NYPD not participate has been sent to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who has thus far ignored the message. Irish Queers and their allies will be protesting the parade from their annual position across from St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue.

No Gays? No Way! Ireland's President Turns Down NYC's St. Patrick's Day Parade

Irish President Mary McAleese has turned down an offer to be the grand marshal of NYC's 250th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade over the event's long-running ban on LGBT participation.

Efforts at a compromise where President McAleese could attend the gay-organized, all-inclusive St. Patrick’s parade in Queens on the weekend before March 17, and then march in the actual Fifth Avenue parade the Thursday following, also failed because the president could not remain in New York for such a long period of time. Marching in the Queens parade as well as the Fifth Avenue one also has been the way most major U.S. politicians, such as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have handled the issue in recent years. McAleese’s refusal to accept the grand marshal invite will come as major blow to parade officials who were intent on making the day an historic showcase. New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York is now being considered a likely replacement. Despite a reputation as a conservative Catholic when she took office, McAleese has become a firm advocate for marginalized groups in Irish societies including gay groups.

Thank you, President McAleese!